Lubricator for rail car journal bearings



Aug. 28, 1951 M. H. CRABTREE LUBRICATOR FOR RAIL (iAR JOURNAL BEARINGS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May 15 1946 In ventor J/Ac/r H. CRABTREE Q fi waodw.

Patented Aug. 28 1951 LUBRICATORVFOR RAIL CAB JOURNAL BEARINGS Mack -H. Crabtree, Babbitt, Nev., assignor of twenty-five' per cent to Emil J osep'h P-errier and Alicia GaylePen-ier, both of Ba'bbithNev.

Application Maylb, 1946, Serial No. 669,813

'in direct contact with the axle surface in 'a conventional railway car journalbearing box; to provide a tensioning means for adjustably pressing an oil soaked felt against an axle for lubricating the same; and to provide an arrangement for maintaining a reservoir of oil in contact with or adjacent to an axle bearing for subsequent lubrication thereof.

Ancillary objects of the invention are to provide a bearing lubricating meansof the character above set forth which is adaptable foruse with the conventional construction of railway car journal bearings and which may readily be attached to existing journal box constructions.

These together with numerous other objects of the invention which will later become apparent as the following description proceeds areattained' by my device, one embodiment of which-has been illustrated by way of example only in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view through a hot box of a railway car journal bearing, showing the attachment thereto of a lubricating means in accordance with my invention, the lubricating means being shown in its released or non-operative position.

Figure 2 is a view similar to Figure 1, but showing the lubricating means in adjusted and operative positions.

Figure 3 is a perspective view of a sleeve member for retaining the packing felt in position.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the supporting arms for the sleeve shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a vertical sectional view taken substantially upon the line 55 of Figure 2.

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view taken substantially upon the section line 66 of Figure 2.

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an inner felt, and

Figure 8 is a perspective view of the outer felt of my assembly.

As shown more clearly by reference to Figure 5, my invention is applied to a conventional railway car journal box indicated generally at In which is provided with the usual cover plate I2 and includes a horizontal partition or flange I4 3 Claims. (01. 30888) and an opening l6 constituting 'a bore for receiving the journal or end portion N3 of a railway car'axle. As shown more clearly in Figures 1 and 2, the railway car axle is located below a bearing structure to be now described and supports by means of said structure the journal box [0 together with the truck supporting the railway car in a known manner. This supporting structure comprises a bearing block 20 having a vertical bore or slot 22 therein within which is provided the usual wedge 24 for adjustably positioning a bronze bearing'insert indicated generally at 26. As will be understood by those skilled in the art, this insert 26 bears directly upon the upper surface of the axle journal portion and provides the means for supporting the weight of the car and its contents from the wheel axles. As so far described, this structure set forth above, is of known and conventional type and forms no part of my invention, but is recitedmerely as setting forth the background of the structure to which my improvement is applied.

The improved lubricating means for oiling the axle journal'bearings in the journal box, is composed of a pair of concentric oil soaked or impregnated porous material pads which as indicated in Figures '7 and 8 may be suitably formed of felt or the like and may be in sheet form or in semimolded condition. These oil impregnated members, consist of an inner member 28 and an outer member 30. The dimensions of the members are so chosen that the inner member will embrace approximately a third of the area of the journal bearing and is intended to be positioned at the lower portion of the bearing, While the outer member 30 is of the same width as the member 28 and has protruding or extending edge surfaces 32 which overlie the edge surfaces 34 of member 28 as shown in Figure 1, whereby when the members are tightened against the cylindrical surface of the bearings there will be formed between the bearings and the edges 32 and 34 a triangular shaped space 36 for a purpose to be later described.

For the purpose of retaining the bearing oiling members 28 and 30 in position, I provide an arcuately shaped member 38, preferably formed of resilient metal, and being of a configuration to conform generally to the semi-cylindrical surface of the journal bearing and of the oil felts disposed adjacent thereto. Integrally! formed upon the member 38 are a pair of upstanding arm portions 40 terminating in outwardly turned hook portions 42 adapted for engagement by the depending arm members 44. As shown in Figures 4 and 5, the members 44 are provided with a horizontally extending arm portion 46 having an upwardly turned hook or fastening portion 48 and being screw threaded at their opposite ends at 50. The vertically extending section of arm 44 is passed through suitably formed apertures in the partition member l4 and is surrounded by a spring 52 which is adjustably tensioned be tween the partition and an adjusting nut 54 threaded upon the threads 50.

From the foregoing, it is believed that the operation of my device will be now apparent. The concentric layers of oil soaked material 28 and 30 are properly positioned in the sleeve member 38, the rods 44 are attached to the hooks 42 and their other extremities inserted through the apertures in the partition l4, the springs 52 are installed and the nuts 54 are threaded upon the ends of the rods. As the nuts are tightened, the arms 44 draw the sleeve 38 and the contained felt upwards into engagement with the journal [8 whereby the felts are bent substantially into the shape shown in Figure 2. In this position, the inner felt 28 is in direct contact with the journal l8 throughout its entire surface. The outer member 30 is pressed against the inner member and its extremities 32 are pressed into contactwith the surface of the journal l8 as shown in Figure 2. By this means a film of oil is squeezed from the concentric layers of felts into direct contact with the surface of the journal H3 at all times, while the space 36 between the inturned edges 32 of the outer member, the edges 34 of the inner member and the journal constitute oil collecting or receiving troughs comprising a reservoir or a pair of reservoirs one on each side of the journal and extending the length thereof always receiving the oil squeezed from the felt and for feeding oil through the felts to the continuous surface of the journal in a manner which will be apparent. It should be here noted that the shape of the resilient member 38 is so chosen as to cause the felts to be evenly pressed throughout their entire surface upon the Although I have illustrated one embodiment of my invention, it is to be distinctly understood that I do not limit myself to the exact construction disclosed, but may avail myself of any modifications falling within the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. A lubricating means for a railway car axle journal having a journal box with an axle disposed therein and a journal bronze mounted in said box upon the upper side of said axle, comprising an imperforate arcuate retaining sheet metal sling disposed beneath and underlying the entire underside of the axle in said box, lubricant impregnated material supported by said sling and held thereby against the undersurface of said axle, integral supporting ears on opposite ends of said sling, supporting rods mounted on said box and depending therefrom, the lower ends of said rods having lateral portions hingedly connected to said ears.

2. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lubricant impregnated material consists of inner and outer layers of felt like material, the outer layer embracing the inner layer and having its ends maintained in engagement with the axle.

3. The combination of claim 1 wherein said lubricant impregnated material consists of inner and outer layers of felt like material, the outer layer embracing the innerlayer and having its ends maintained in engagement with the axle, the ends of the inner layer terminating inwardly of the ends of the outer layer to define an oil receiving trough therebetween, the ends of the outer layer overlying the ends of the inner layer.

MACK H. CRABTREE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 347,599 Hebert Aug. 17, 1886 109,870 Cowles Dec. 6, 1870 1,222,857 Ernst Apr. 17, 1917 1,462,736 Boddy July 24, 1923 

